Camel on the Table!

Started off my morning with the lovely Brodhags! Homemade granola, homemade Jordanian Manaeesh and Pita Bread with Cheese and Zaatar, a camel on the table, and a wonderful time enjoying food, enjoying people, and loving all His hand brings.

Here's my take on this :) If you want to get to know people, have a meal with them! It's amazing how much you can connect with people over food. Want to make friends, eat with them! So I did, I ate with them, with the camel on the table, and realized that God has blessed me with some quality and caring people in my life.

I don't do hash tags, but if I did, I'd have to say....
#Thankful #Grateful #His Hand #So Secure #Rest #He is #God

.London.Bridge.

            I’m in London! It is hard to believe that in a matter of hours my world has changed completely! Arabic is no longer dancing around me from every side, but instead, I seem to hear a new language ever time I turn my head! With that said, I still never realize how farm away from home I am until I’ve reached my destination, gone to bed, and woken up in a new place. It's then I know that no matter how much I try, I can't go back.Leaving is sad no matter how you put it, but since it is what it is, I've been told that I might as well make the best of it. And so, I tried to do just that :)

 My last few days at home were wonderful.

      Before I left, I had the chance to go out and say goodbye to some friends who I had the pleasure of being with this summer. It always amazes me how God brings people into our paths to encourage us, befriend us, bring a smile to our face, and remind us that He has a plan for who He brings in and takes out of our life.

            In addition to everything I've eaten, my family fed me my favorite desserts (yummy Jordanian Iceberg Ice cream and knaffe) before leaving, my mom made her delicious stuffed zucchini and eggplant ( soo good!) , and I prepared my dried thyme mixture for the homemade Jordanian pastries I’ll be making throughout the year. But all of this did not make up for the excitement at the end of the day.

            By the way if you have an option for what type of excitement to have, don't pick this kind. I don't recommend it. The excitement all began when I put a password on my dad's old phone which was officially my 'new' phone. When did the excitement all end? When I forgot it minutes after confirming it! So this left me with a disabled phone needing to be completely restored. If my cousin is reading this, I just want to say thank you Haitham!!!  Working on a disabled phone till 4AM is not a personal preference I’m sure, but I’m so glad to have my phone back! You're the best! It was quite an eventful night with little sleep, quite a bit of action, and the chance to learn how to make the best of every situation, even the really sticky ones!
            Now it’s 15:40 in London. It’s weird doing time this way, it seems like everyone runs on a 24 hour clock here and I just keep using my fingers to count on from 12.
…13, 14, 15, 16, 17…
"Okay 17 means 5 o’clock." Since I now know the time, I should probably get going! But this is just a little note to say, " Hello from London!" 

.He is Faithful.

LIke a Lake , Like the Desert, Landscapes and Song Obsessions

So I've recently had a song obsession, which is the inspiration behind the title of this post. I'll let you listen to the song, but what catches my attention most are these words:

Standing at this waters edge
looking in at God's own heart
I've no idea where to begin
to swallow up the way things are
...
bring the wind and bring the thunder
bring the rain till I am tried
when it's over bring me stillness
let my face reflect the sky
and all the grace and all the wonder
of a peace that I can't fake
wide open like a lake

So I leave Jordan in just about 100 hours. I don't know what else to say but I love love love, did I mention that I love this place. First of all, it's so beautiful! This is just a glimpse of what it's like by the Red Sea ( top), the Dead Sea ( middle), and the Desert.

Now needless to say, not only does Jordan's beauty captivate me but so do my people, especially 4 special people. Being with my family for 2 1/2 months has been so so good, to say the least. Going on vacation, being there for breakfast, dinner, and grocery shopping usually doesn't bring that much joy, unless you have such loving people to share these chores with. To say I will miss them would be an understatement, but I'll spare you all my sappy sentimental goodbye metaphors!

I will say, I've learned two things.
1) Saying goodbye never gets easier.
2) It's Okay.

To love I must be wide open...like a lake, vulnerable, willing to love and be loved. Accepting the Thunder and the storm. Loving and trusting the Storm Keeper, knowing that if I hurt while wide open,  the Healer can bring stillness and a peace that I can't fake...
    
{wide open like a lake}

So I guess like a lake, Like a desert, I'm leaving home wide open, hurting to have to go and say goodbye yet again, but thankful that it's the presence of  love that causes this pain.

I will miss you j.o.r.d.a.n.& y.o.u.r. s.u.l.a.i.m.a.n.'.s!

Lessons from the Artist, His Canvas, the Sun, and the Son.

 

I think I fall in love with the Sun every time I watch a sunrise and sunset. It whispers of new mercies and grace that the Son graces on every human every day. His mercies are on those who see it and those who don't.

I love being in Jordan. The place of this picture now specifically hosts many memories for me, especially with this special girl!


My sister and I got to enjoy camp at this beautiful place for a week, enjoying the weather, the people, the sermons, the songs, and the great conversations bringing growth and glory to the Son. So much to  be grateful for. So much to learn.

I. Love. Home.
I. Love. Friends.
I. Love. the. Sun.
.and. its. Colors.
I. Love. the. Artist.
.and. His. Canvas.
I. Love. the. Son.
.and. His. Sacrifice.

.Learning His Amazing Grace.